Slán go fóill

Today was our last full day in Ireland. As sad as I am to go, I can’t wait for all that is yet to come. Our adventure here is not even half over, yet I feel like I’ve been here for ages. We’ve done and seen so much in this past week and a half; I can’t even imagine how much more is yet to come.

Me and some of the greatest people I’ve ever met

As we move on from Ireland, I’m reminded of all of the different sights we’ve seen and all of the different landscapes we’ve visited. For such a small island, Ireland is really quite diverse. It is home to two different countries and centuries of history. There is so much division between religion/nationalities and yet everyone is unified by a similar culture and backstory. Many Irish people are unified in their memory of the hardships and the violence that came from the Troubles. Though they may have completely different sides to the story, no one who lived in Ireland at that time can say that they weren’t somewhat affected by it. The same goes for the potato famine. No matter how different, almost everyone in Ireland has family that was affected by the potato famine centuries back. The people of Ireland are united in many more ways than they probably even realize. Though they may be diverse, similarities and common culture transcend differences of opinion. I think the people of Ireland are finally starting to understand that they’re all not so different after all.

Message of peace written on the Belfast Peace Wall

Not only are the people of Ireland extremely diverse, but the landscape of Ireland is as well. Ireland’s countryside, shorelines, and city centers seem like they belong to completely different parts of the world, yet they are mere miles from one another. Many parts of Ireland even have native palm trees!

This island is much different from what I was expecting, yet I cannot say that I’m the least bit disappointed. I loved learning about the culture and history here and I hope to return sometime soon. But for now, it’s on to Cardiff!